A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 | |
| Season | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 20 April – 15 August (Regular season) 12 December 2021 – 4 January 2022 (Championship and Relegation stage) 7–12 January 2022 (Promotion–relegation play-off) |
| Champions | Shandong Taishan 4th CSL title 5th Chinese title |
| AFC Champions League | Shandong Taishan Shanghai Port Guangzhou Changchun Yatai |
| Matches played | 176 |
| Goals scored | 447 (2.54 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Júnior Negrão (14 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Guangzhou 5–0 Qingdao (11 August 2021) Shanghai Port 5–0 Tianjin Jinmen Tiger (15 August 2021) Guangzhou City 5–0 Beijing Guoan (19 December 2021) |
| Biggest away win | Qingdao 0–6 Guangzhou (21 July 2021) |
| Highest scoring | Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 1–6 Shanghai Port (22 April 2021) Guangzhou 5–2 Cangzhou Mighty Lions (2 August 2021) Qingdao 2–5 Wuhan (15 December 2021) |
| Longest winning run | 10 matches Shandong Taishan |
| Longest unbeaten run | 13 matches Shandong Taishan |
| Longest winless run | 12 matches Wuhan |
| Longest losing run | 11 matches Qingdao |
| Highest attendance | 28,252 Guangzhou 2–0 Shenzhen (2 May 2021) |
| Lowest attendance | 335 Cangzhou Mighty Lions 0–0 Henan Songshan Longmen (27 April 2021) |
| Total attendance | 111,732 |
| Average attendance | 4,656 |
← 2020 2022 → | |
The 2021 Chinese Super League, officially known as the 2021 Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League (Chinese: 2021中国平安中国足球协会超级联赛) for sponsorship reasons, was the 18th season since the establishment of the Chinese Super League. The league title sponsor is Ping An Insurance.[1][2]
Jiangsu were the defending champions before they ceased operation on 28 February 2021 and were disqualified by the Chinese Football Association on 29 March 2021.[3]
Club changes
Clubs promoted from 2020 China League One
Dissolved entries
Changchun Yatai returns to the division after a 2-year absence. Cangzhou Mighty Lions were reprieved from relegation after finishing bottom in the previous season due to the dissolution of Jiangsu.
Name changes
In December 2020, the CFA issued a policy to "neutralize" the names of all professional football clubs.[4] Club names cannot contain any term of a sponsorship or commercial nature, and non-Chinese characters cannot be used.[5][6] Most Chinese football clubs had to be renamed. There were some debates as to whether or not some long-existing club names, for example, "Shandong Taishan" and "Beijing Guoan", were acceptable. After Henan Jianye was renamed to "Luoyang Longmen", club fans protested in front of the club stadium. Some clubs, including the 2020 Chinese Super League winner Jiangsu F.C., China League One team Beijing Chengfeng and China League Two team Yancheng Luzhiying, dissolved subsequent to their renaming.[7]
| Current name | Previous name | Date changed | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guangzhou City F.C. | Guangzhou R&F | December 2020 | [8] |
| Guangzhou F.C. | Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao | January 2021 | [9] |
| Shandong Taishan F.C. | Shandong Luneng Taishan | January 2021 | [10] |
| Shanghai Port F.C. | Shanghai SIPG | January 2021 | [11] |
| Cangzhou Mighty Lions F.C.[a] | Shijiazhuang Ever Bright | January 2021 | [12] |
| Tianjin Jinmen Tiger F.C. | Tianjin TEDA | January 2021 | [13] |
| Qingdao F.C. | Qingdao Huanghai | February 2021 | [14] |
| Shanghai Shenhua F.C. | Shanghai Greenland Shenhua | February 2021 | [15] |
| Hebei F.C. | Hebei China Fortune | February 2021 | [16] |
| Wuhan F.C. | Wuhan Zall | February 2021 | [17] |
| Henan Songshan Longmen F.C. | Henan Jianye | February 2021 | [18] |
| Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic F.C. | Chongqing Dangdai Lifan | March 2021 | [19] |
| Beijing Guoan F.C. | Beijing Sinobo Guoan | March 2021 | [20] |
| Jiangsu F.C. | Jiangsu Suning | February 2021[b] | [22] |
Rule changes
The CFA imposed a salary cap on the Super League in December 2020, taking effect with the 2021 season. Each club's total player wages are capped at ¥600 million, with a separate limit of €10 million for foreign players. Individual player salaries are also capped, at ¥5 million before tax for Chinese players, and €3 million for foreign players.[23]
